US-Iran war: Tehran threatens US warships as oil prices climb on supply fears

Day 192: Iran says talks with Oman on Hormuz Strait reach final stage

Day 191: Iran to declare 'prohibited zone' near Hormuz Strait

Day 190: Iran military vows 'more severe' reprisals if US attacks continue

Day 189: US insists Iran conflict is not a war while economic blockade tightens

Day 188: Trump boasts ‘unlimited’ US ammo, warns of more strikes

Day 187: US strikes on Iran would not continue 'too long': Trump

Iran has warned that it can strike US Navy vessels enforcing Washington's blockade of Iranian shipping, escalating an already dangerous confrontation in the Arabian Gulf after a series of tit-for-tat attacks on military and commercial vessels.

Iran's acting defense minister, Brig. Gen. Majid Ibn Reza, said late on Monday that Iranian forces possess the ability to attack US warships enforcing what Tehran calls an "economic blockade", Tehran-based Press TV reported.

Ibn Reza claimed the country's military capabilities are "sufficient" to target American naval forces. The warning came two days after the US struck three Iranian crude-oil carriers following Iranian missile attacks on two US Navy vessels.

The exchange has pushed the conflict into a new phase in which Iran's oil exports, commercial tankers and US naval forces enforcing the blockade are increasingly becoming interconnected military targets.

Iran state media on Monday said a ballistic missile with improved capabilities was demonstrating a new doctrine: Tehran “will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out.”

The report by Iran’s state news agency repeatedly cited comments aired on state TV the day before by the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, who boasted of new missile capability and claimed it had been “tested” against a US warship.

It was not clear whether what was tested was the missile the new report described, the solid-fueled Qassem Basir, unveiled last year, when it was described as having at least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.

The US on Saturday said ballistic missiles were launched at US warships and it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response.

Experts called the launch an "escalation", noting that until then Iran's attacks at sea had targeted commercial shipping during six months of war. The US said the warships evaded the attacks.

Iran’s messaging in recent days has become more assertive, and Monday’s report said the Qassem Basir marks “a turning point in Iran’s defense strategy.”

Oil prices climbed to a six-week high as renewed fighting between the US and Iran intensified concerns about disruptions to crude supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude moving toward $97/barrel, as of 8.01 am in Beijing on Tuesday (Sept. 8, 2026).

US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $92.53. Murban crude, the UAE benchmark, was around $106.80. Brent reached an intraday high of $98.06 a barrel on Monday, its highest level since July 24, before settling at $97.31. WTI also reached a six-week high.

The latest rally reflects growing concern that the escalating US-Iran conflict could further disrupt oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy chokepoints.

The latest jump followed a series of attacks involving commercial and military vessels. US forces on Saturday struck 3 Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships, according to US Central Command.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday launched a scathing verbal assault against Canada, accusing it of "strategic confusion" and endorsing US-Israel military aggression after Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne condemned Tehran's "destabilising activities" in the Middle East. 

Baghaei’s remarks come amid escalating tensions over maritime navigation and international sanctions, with Tehran sharply questioning Canada’s commitment to diplomacy and its standing as an independent sovereign state.

In a strongly worded post made on X, Baghaei claimed Canada chose to "appease their bullying neighbour" by backing military actions and sanctions against Iran rather than calling for de-escalation.

"Canada cannot credibly present itself as a champion of 'peace and security,' 'freedom of navigation,' and 'international law' while simultaneously backing US military aggression and Washington’s illegal, interventionist actions in our region," Baghaei stated.

US Central Command said its forces have redirected 94 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two while enforcing the blockade on Iranian shipping.

The figures are current as of September 7, according to CENTCOM.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi media Ansarollah said Tuesday that the rebels hit targets in Saudi Arabia, as they press an offensive to seize territory near the Bab Al Mandab Strait.

The Houthis had accused Riyadh on Monday of carrying out strikes around the country, including the deadly bombardment of a prison.

"Yemeni drones and missiles pound the Saudi enemy," Ansarollah wrote on Telegram.

It said in a separate post that the strikes hit Abha International Airport, King Khalid air base and facilities belonging to state-owned oil giant Aramco in Abha and Jizan.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the report.

For four months, largely under the cover of darkness, small teams of US Navy divers and SEALs carried out one of the most dangerous missions in the battle for the Strait of Hormuz: Hunting for mines beneath the water.

Backed by robotic boats and specialised underwater craft equipped with high-resolution sonar, the teams searched the seabed for explosives Iran said it had planted in international and Omani waters after the US-Israeli war with Tehran began in February.

Details of the covert operation, reported by the Financial Times, reveal how Washington has quietly tried to remove one of Iran’s most potent weapons for controlling a waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passed before the war.

Read more here.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al Malki has condemned an escalation by Houthi forces targeting Saudi Arabia, calling it a "dangerous escalation" that reflects the group's hostile approach.

Al Malki said recent strikes on civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran injured 73 civilians, including women and children, describing the attacks as a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a direct threat to residents' safety.

He said the coalition's Joint Forces Command will take "all necessary operational measures" to deter the Houthis and respond to threat sources, in defence of the Kingdom's sovereignty and national assets.

UAE travellers are facing another day of mixed flight operations, with delays and cancellations reported from both Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport and Dubai International Airport.

While Etihad’s services to Bahrain and Kuwait are mostly operating normally, several flights from Abu Dhabi are delayed, while Air Arabia has cancelled services to Kuwait and Bahrain.

Emirates is operating selected Bahrain and Kuwait flights from Dubai, but few international services have also faced delays.

Flights between the UAE and Indonesia remain disrupted because of volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau, while Air France has extended its Dubai flight suspension through September 10.

Read more here.

An official source at the Ministry of Energy says several energy sector facilities and installations in Saudi Arabia's southern region were targeted this morning, with relevant authorities responding and taking necessary measures.

The attacks caused fires at several locations, leading to a temporary halt in some operations. Specialised field teams have begun containing the fires, securing the sites, and assessing the damage.

The source said the attacks resulted in injuries of varying severity among several citizens and residents, who are currently receiving medical care as follow-up operations continue.

Authorities are continuing to address the repercussions of the attacks and are taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of facilities and personnel, and the continuity of operations in line with approved operational plans.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned Houthi attacks on its territory that wounded 73 people, saying it will "take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty".

The foreign ministry, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, called for an "immediate halt to all forms of escalation practised by this militia" as well as Houthi attacks on shipping.

Jordan has condemned the Houthi militia’s targeting of civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in injuries to civilians.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also condemned continued Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, calling them a violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and a threat to its security, stability and territorial integrity, as well as to the safety of maritime navigation.

In a statement, the ministry reaffirmed Jordan’s 'absolute solidarity' with Saudi Arabia and its support for measures taken to protect the Kingdom’s security, stability, resources, citizens and residents.

Bahrain has condemned renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilian, economic and vital facilities that injured several civilians, including women and children.

In a statement, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and backed measures to protect its sovereignty, security and vital infrastructure. It also condemned continued Houthi attacks on commercial vessels and threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandab, calling on the international community and UN Security Council to take firm action.

Yemen's Houthis said Tuesday they had launched dozens of drones and missiles at economic and military targets in Saudi Arabia, saying it was a response to more than 120 strikes by Riyadh on Yemen in the last three days.

"Yemeni armed forces carried out a large-scale, long-range military operation... using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones," said rebel military spokesman Yahya Saree.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi has condemned Houthi attacks on southern Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes deliberately targeted civilians, national assets and civilian infrastructure, resulting in injuries.

Albudaiwi called for a firm international response, accountability for those responsible and an end to the attacks, which he said threaten regional and international security. He reaffirmed the GCC’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for measures to protect its territory, citizens and residents.

In a post on X, Iran’s president said the Islamic Republic has consistently opposed war and sought to protect the interests of the Iranian people and regional security by avoiding the escalation of conflict.

The president said Iran would nevertheless continue to resist what it described as aggression “with full strength” until the aggressors are brought to “complete regret,” while pledging to defend the rights of the Iranian people.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on X that Iran has always opposed war and sought to protect the interests of its people and regional security by avoiding conflict.

Pezeshkian said Iran would continue to resist aggression “with full strength” until the aggressors were left with 'complete regret', while defending the rights of the Iranian people.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the attacks launched by the Houthi group on civilian and economic facilities in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which resulted in dozens of injuries among civilians including women and children.

The UAE also condemned the continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which poses a threat to safety of maritime navigation.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday there had been "significant progress" in talks with Oman over the administration of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

According to an Iranian foreign ministry statement, Araghchi "explained the latest status of Iran-Oman talks on the Strait of Hormuz, reporting significant progress" during a call with his Japanese counterpart.

Iran and Oman, both coastal states on the strait, have for weeks been discussing the future of navigation through the waterway, with Tehran saying progress had been made to agree a temporary shipping route.

A local commander in Iran's paramilitary Basij force was killed on Tuesday in a "terrorist attack" in the country's restive southeast, local media reported.

Abdolraouf Eshaghi, a commander in the Parud district of Sistan-Baluchistan province, had been "martyred", Tasnim news agency said, without providing details.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.

South Korea has sent a fact-finding team to assess the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, its defence ministry said Tuesday, while stressing no troops would be deployed.

"The ministry has dispatched a fact-finding team to assess conditions on the ground in the Strait of Hormuz," it said in a statement. "The team was sent to examine the regional situation and security conditions, and its mission does not presuppose an actual deployment."

Israel's military activity in Syria including the detention of hundreds of people could constitute war crimes, United Nations investigators said Tuesday.

"The Commission is deeply alarmed about continued Israeli violations," said commissioner Fionnuala Ni Aolain of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic. "Such acts may amount to war crimes."  

Houthi media in Yemen reported a series of Saudi strikes on Tuesday after a wave of attacks by the rebels injured dozens in southern Saudi Arabia.

"The Saudi aggression launches a series of raids on Al-Waziyah district" in Taiz province, where fighting has raged for days, Almasirah television said, after also reporting four Saudi strikes in Marib province. 

Iranian air defence forces identified and targeted a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.

Fars said the operation was carried out by air defence units of Iran's regular military in the southeast of the country.

There was no immediate confirmation from US officials of the reported incident.

Wall Street retreated early Tuesday as oil prices pushed higher while markets awaited key inflation data later in the week.

Brent oil futures were trading above $97 a barrel following Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil infrastructure, part of an effort to gain control of Bab al-Mandab Strait, a conduit for Saudi crude after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz.

About 10 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.2 per cent at 52,962.18.

The broad-based S&P 500 dipped 0.2 per cent to 7,701.95, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index also lost 0.2 per cent at 26,464.68.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that the country will continue its resistance with strength until the "aggressors" are brought to complete regret.

In a post on social media platform X, he also highlighted Iran's opposition to war.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been opposed to war and considered the preservation of the people's interests and ensuring the (West Asia) region's security to lie in refraining from warmongering," Pezeshkian said, Xinhua news agency reported.

He added, "However, just as it has courageously risen to defend against aggression up to this day, Iran will continue this resistance with strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret, and will remain the guardian of the rights of the great Iranian people."

Israel FM denounces 'outrageous and false' UK criticism of settlements.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday said they seized an unmanned American submarine in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has blockaded in the months-long Middle East war.

"The IRGC naval forces captured one of the most modern, unmanned, and smart submarines of the US terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz in a complex intelligence and operational action at dawn today," the Guards said in a statement carried by state TV.

The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran's aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers in its new push to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners.

The latest actions are part of the Trump administration’s Operation Economic Outcast campaign that is aimed at severing “critical financial lifelines” for the already heavily sanctioned Iranian government. The new penalties target the remaining facets of Tehran’s already beleaguered aviation ecosystem, which Washington has sanctioned for years.

“Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press release.

The Trump administration accused the 36 entities targeted this week of supporting the Islamic Republic's efforts to use its aviation sector to move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo. The moves will subject foreign firms and governments that do business with the targeted entities to sanctions themselves, including a freeze on any assets they may have in US jurisdictions.

Saudi Arabia will use all available means to protect its interests and will not hesitate to defend itself against Houthi attacks, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday, while stressing that diplomacy remained an option.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Prince Faisal said the Houthis had “opened a Pandora’s box”, warning that the Kingdom was prepared to act in defence of its security.

The Houthis said Saudi Arabia retaliated with strikes on Tuesday after the group targeted oil facilities, wounding dozens, as deadly fighting reignited in Yemen after a Houthi offensive towards the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab chokepoint.

The rapid round of strikes and counter-strikes follows the unravelling of a four-year truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government in July, as Yemen became the latest country to be drawn into the Middle East war.

The United Kingdom on Tuesday banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where it says “settler terrorists” are carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians, in a significant toughening of Britain's stance toward a longtime ally. France and Canada also said they will ban imports.

The UK's announcement was an attempt to prevent expanding settlements from making a Palestinian state impossible. Israel responded angrily and said it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK will ban imports of all goods from the settlements and bar companies from providing services for the settlements, including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising. He said France and Canada would also ban trade in goods from settlements.

“I do not believe the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets," Miliband said.

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued an early-warning alert through the National Early Warning Platform for emergencies in the Jazan region, warning residents of potential danger and urging them to follow official safety instructions. Authorities advised people to move to a safe indoor location away from windows, avoid exposed areas and rooftops, and remain sheltered until the danger has passed, stressing that updates should be obtained only from official channels.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that after 47 years of sanctions, the United States had “gone to war with Iran on behalf of Israel”, claiming the fallout had been disastrous for Washington, including its standing worldwide.

In a post on X, Araghchi argued that the US had failed to achieve its objectives through either sanctions or war and criticised the prospect of further restrictions on Tehran. “Washington’s ‘novel’ solution is… more sanctions. Seriously?” he wrote.

The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Ali Abdollahi, on Tuesday warned Tehran would attack US bases in the region if Iranian oil tankers were hit.

"The US aggressor army has given Iranian oil tankers an evacuation warning to hit them, so I announce that any attack on Iranian oil tankers will result in the targeting of US bases in the region by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Abdollahi said, according to state TV.

Iranian local media reported on Tuesday that two blasts were heard in the southern Iranian port city of Jask near the Strait of Hormuz.

"At around 21:45 tonight, explosions were heard in Jask city. The explosion occurred in two stages, a short distance apart," Fars news agency reported.

Iranian local media reported on Tuesday that several blasts were heard on Iran's Kharg Island, which is located in the Gulf and is from where the majority of country's oil is exported.

"The sound of several explosions was heard in parts of Kharg Island a few minutes ago," Mehr news agency said, without elaborating.

The US has sanctioned all 27 of Iran’s remaining airlines, escalating a campaign to cut Tehran off from international finance, aviation and trade as the war and economic confrontation enter a critical phase.

The Treasury Department announced that it was sanctioning 36 targets tied to Iran’s aviation sector under "Operation Economic Outcast", including 27 Iranian airlines and companies and intermediaries in several countries.

The measures target what US officials describe as networks used by Iran to move weapons, personnel and illicit cargo, as well as intermediaries that help Iranian airlines obtain US-origin aircraft, spare parts and sensitive aviation technology.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned companies doing business with the sanctioned airlines that they risk being cut off from the US financial system.

The US military has destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers early on Wednesday (September 9).

The attacks on Iranian tankers are in response to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days, according to the US Central Command.

"The US warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed."

Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and "every time they try to do that, they're going to lose crude oil tankers".

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy has issued an "immediate warning" to tanker crews in the vicinity of ports and harbours in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to Iran-linked PressTV.

In a statement early on Wednesday, the IRGC Navy said the warning was issued in response to the “hostile actions” of the US military in targeting several oil tankers belonging to the Islamic Republic.

Oil prices rose sharply early Wednesday (Sept. 9, 2026) as renewed US-Iran hostilities threatened to widen across the Gulf and disrupt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. As of 8:28 am Tokyo, the market board showed: WTI crude at $94.33, up 1.40%, Brent crude at $97.92, or 0.95% higher, while Murban spiked 3.75% to $110.80, a $4.00 jump.

The latest prices put Brent near the six-week high reached in the previous session.

The immediate trigger for the latest risk premium was the US military’s reported destruction of five Iranian crude carriers.

Britain has announced sweeping new measures targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing settlers of driving Palestinians from their homes and warning that settlement expansion is threatening the possibility of a Palestinian state. Israel responded by announcing the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, sharply escalating tensions between the two allies.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said settler violence and settlement expansion had reached an unacceptable level. In remarks to Parliament, he accused extremist settlers of using violence to displace Palestinians and described the situation as part of a broader threat to the viability of a two-state solution.

Britain has particularly objected to Israel's planned expansion of the E1 settlement project, which the British government says could sever the territorial connection between the West Bank and East Jerusalem. London has described the project as a serious threat to the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state.

Israel responded swiftly: Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel would close Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem, which serves as the UK's diplomatic mission dealing with the Palestinian territories.

Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) – Arab Army announced that the kingdom came under a missile attack from Iranian territory over the past few hours. Petra News Agency quoted the spokesperson of the Jordan Armed Forces as saying that Jordanian air defence systems engaged 20 ballistic missiles fired toward Jordanian territory, successfully intercepting and destroying 18 of them.

Two missiles fell in unpopulated areas. Field assessments confirmed that no casualties were recorded as a result of the attack, the spokesperson added, emphasising that the armed forces addressed the threat in accordance with established operational procedures to protect the kingdom's airspace and ensure public safety. Continuous monitoring, tracking, and evaluation remain underway.

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